Home Remedies for Bad Breath – Natural Cures to Neutralize Halitosis

Searching for wholesome home remedies for getting rid of bad breath is something high on the priority list for those who have it. And treating the condition without having to resort to the help of a medical professional, mostly because of the embarrassment, is why home treatments are so popular.

OMG, bad breath!

No matter how much you do to prevent developing bad breath, it happens to most of us at one point in our lives. It may only be for a day, and we may have forgotten to brush after that hot spicy salad, but everyone will have experienced it at least once. It can be very embarrassing and non-too pleasant for our companions either.

This article looks at why we might suffer from this condition and how to ensure it is kicked into touch for good. Firstly we shall look at what bad breath actually is and what causes it and then we will get into the home remedies for it that are known to be effective.

What Is Bad Breath?

Medically known as halitosis, bad breath is when you exhibit odorous breath from your mouth. The condition is usually the result of poor oral hygiene, it can affect anyone. Official figures suggest that 25 per cent of us have suffered from it on a regular basis.

When we fail to take proper care of our mouths, we tend to suffer from a build-up of bacteria. The bacteria attempts to break down the food that is left in our mouths, and this releases a nasty smelling gas. If we cleaned our teeth properly, there would be no food particles for the bacteria to target. We can also suffer from halitosis if we eat strong flavored foods, and these are typified by onions and garlic. You can also suffer from bad breath if you are unwell, smoke cigarettes or drink a lot of alcohol. There are ways to ensure that your bad breath doesn’t become a problem, but you need to be vigilant.

Causes of Bad Breath

bad breath ewww

They say first impressions last a lifetime and people experiencing bad breath can fail job applications, fail to court a lover and face the public all because of the condition that makes their breath negatively odorous.

You can get bad breath from something you ate, but if you always have bad breath, then it’s probably not just something you ate.

You can have bad breath from not tooth brushing enough, and by also having a broken tooth, because when you have a broken tooth, the food you ate earlier will get stuck inside it. No matter how much you brush your teeth, if you have a broken tooth, your breath will always smell like rotten food.

By learning the main factors that cause bad breath, you will then be able to learn how to get rid of bad breath faster.

There are a lot of different causes of bad breath and listed below are the three most common.

The first main cause is a buildup of bacteria in the mouth. This can be caused by insufficient brushing or improper flossing that leads to plaque and numerous other germs and bacteria to be left behind inside the mouth. These can buildup really fast and it doesn’t take too long for these to affect your breath.

The second possible cause is due to indigestion and intestinal problems may also lead to gastrointestinal gases that cause bad breath.

The third branch of bad breath causes is from eating too many spices and hot food. The aftertaste and chemical mixture in your mouth after eating spicy food will almost immediately lead to halitosis. Drinking cold water won’t be enough to get rid of bad breath because generally it wasn’t the food itself that caused it but the chemical reaction your mouth had to the ingredients.

Bad Breath Remedy Myths

Myth: It is true that bad breath is annoying and can easily ruin your social life. Many people fear to face a doctor because they fear the initial reactions or they fear to be embarrassed and laughed at. For this many people seek homemade remedies. There are remedies that work and there are those that do not. First up for discussion are the myths; the remedies that a lot of believe in but actually have no real effect on fixing bad breath and may actually make the condition even worse.

One famous myth is that you can solve halitosis by brushing your teeth a lot. This is not true because excessive brushing will only end up drying the gums and the bristles may damage the teeth. One session of brushing is enough to remove the layers of bacteria; if the brush was not able to get it off the first time, it won’t be able to do it the second and third because the bacteria buildup has hardened into layers of plaque. The only way to get hardened plaque off is to visit a dentist and have your teeth cleaned with proper tools.

One more myth is that bad breath is a running problem in the family and that is a hereditary problem. This is completely false because the conditions of halitosis are caused by external agents like your diet and the conditions of your digestion as well as your brushing habits.

Lastly, do not believe that mints will solve the problem either; these sweet candies and gums will freshen your breath only for a temporary amount of time and will eventually dry your gums, causing even more damages and possible causes of further odorous breath problems.

Home Remedies and Prevention Tips for Halitosis and Bad Breath

So what are the real, working bad breath remedies that will address the root of the problem and enlighten you with fresher, less odorous breath? The following remedies are proven techniques and at-home medical procedures that will guarantee that plaque and bacteria will dissolve, leading to fresher breath.

Brush Your Teeth Regularly!

Back to brushing your teeth; Stating the obvious, somewhat, but this is the best place to start your battle against halitosis. The biggest cause of bad breath is the build-up of plaque, but this is nullified if you brush regularly and correctly. One session is all you need most of the time. The reason why some people experience this problem is when their mouths have dried (either from keeping it shut for too long or not proactively talking for a long period of time, similarly to sleeping) and the dried area becomes a swimming pool for bacteria to grow and spread. A single session of brushing your teeth will almost immediately get rid of these. Remember to stick with just one session because if you beyond that you’ll be hurting your gums and teeth. Another thing to take note of is that you have to make a habit of brushing your tongue and using the soft end of your toothbrush to massage your gums as well. Brush at least twice a day and spend 2 minutes on the task in hand. You should also floss once a day, because this will remove the food particles between your teeth. If you feel like you should be doing this more often, just go ahead, just try not to brush too aggressively as this can harm your enamel.

Tongue Scraping

Your tongue can harbor a lot of bad smelling bacteria, and you can remove this using your toothbrush gently over the surface area. You can also try using a tongue scraper, this is purpose built for the smelly germ removal.

Drink Lots of Water

Water consumption is another strong remedy for stinking breath. If you drink at least the recommended six to eight glasses of water per day you are actively flushing out the bacteria from your mouth. Another important aspect from this remedy is that you are able to keep your mouth moist. By preventing your mouth from drying you are preventing bad breath.

Consume Lots of Fruit

Eating fruits or drinking the juices coming from fruits is another real remedy, especially if you take in fruits with a strong acidic content. Cranberry juice and orange juice are all good remedies to dissolve the hardened pockets of plaque, especially behind the back area of your teeth where the brush may not have reached. Whether you eat the fruit or drink the juice it makes no difference as long as you intake the fluids that will work their wonders on the plaque.

Foul Food Smells

As mentioned previously, onions and garlic contribute to bad breath and brushing alone does not change the situation. The substance contained in these items actually enters your bloodstream and you eventually breathe them out of your lungs. If you know you are going to be in an important meeting, or have a hot date lined up, avoid eating these until the next day if possible! See our page on how to get rid of garlic breath.

Smoking

This is one habit that most of us find disgusting, not only will it give you bad breathe, but it also may kill you as a way of saying thank you! If you are a smoker, please try whatever works for you before it is too late.

Gargling Salt Water

Gargling or rinsing out your mouth with salty hot water is one of the most tried and true remedies to cure bad breath that dentists highly suggest to their patients. The salt content is good to help heal damaged gums and teeth and it is a better, stronger mix than any mouth wash you can find in the store. It will dissolve plaque but it may not be enough to flush them out and so you’ll have to brush your teeth before or after rinsing.

Yogurt

Yogurt is actually a very popular remedy for garlic breath and any kind of bad breath, as it’s very effective yet it also tastes super delicious as well. Yogurt actually contain live cultures that eliminate the bacteria that causes bad breath, so when you eat yogurt, your awful smaelling breath will significantly disappear. When you eat yogurt on a daily basis, your breath will smell much better and more fresh, and the nicest part is that it also prevents plaque and gum disease.

Fresh Parsley Sprigs

After you eat anything with garlic, make sure that you eat fresh parsley sprigs, because it’s a herb that kills the germs and bacteria that causes your breath to stink. Fresh parsley sprigs prevent the bad smell of garlic to spread to your gums and teeth so that your breath will not stink. That is why if ever you eat garlic, make sure that you eat a fresh parsley sprig right after so that you won’t get foul breath. See this guide.

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Sammy is the owner of this website and major contributor. Sam's work is also often published in other leading natural health and home remedies websites as well. The content Sam writes about is always thoroughly researched and based on real medical professionals opinions and users testimonials.
Sam lives in the Sth Is. of New Zealand.

5 Comments

Dr. Muzammil Irshad

April 3, 2013

Halitosis is always annoying, I must say! Improving oral hygiene, proper brushing of teeth with suitable antimicrobial toothpastes(two times a day- morning and evening), gargling or rinsing the mouth with mouthwashes before and after meals can help get rid of bad breath.

I’ve found that brushing the cheek walls, the roof of the mouth , and in addition to the surface of the tongue, brush the sides and the underside of the tongue, as well as the cavity it rests in.
This added exponentially in reducing my bad breath and bringing it under control

I don’t like the meme above about bad breath because obviously it is not true that most bad breath can be easily eliminated with brushing and flossing there are chronic reasons like tonsillitis for example or liver diseases that can cause bad breath.